


Command System Freeze

by GhostHost



Category: Zoids (Anime & Toys)
Genre: Warnings are given per chapter, no beta we post our first drafts like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:40:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24696949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostHost/pseuds/GhostHost
Summary: My dumping spot for drabbles, warm-ups, Tumblr pieces, short(er than normal) one-shots, and generally anything else that doesn't have a place.Ch. 2  Brad's not sure Leon's aware of the direction Naomi's pushing them in, but he's perfectly fine to find out.
Relationships: Bit Cloud/Harry Champ, Naomi Fluegal/Brad Hunter/Leon Toros
Kudos: 8
Collections: Zoids Fan Works





	1. Bit/Harry--0990

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not head deep in a fandom unless I have an anthology going apparently lmao. Unedited, as everything in here will be, feel free to leave comments with spelling/grammar corrections!
> 
> Pairing: Bit/Harry
> 
> Universe: NC0
> 
> Warnings: The Liger rips the head off a Guysack but no one expressly dies so meh. Frankly this is the tamest piece of media I've personally written in a while lmao, TF gets all my messed up plotlines. As always, should you want something put up here drop me a line!
> 
> Summary: There’s a Liger roaring outside of Harry’s base.
> 
> Specifically, Bit’s Liger Zero, who Harry has battled alongside often enough to properly identify from angry yelling alone.
> 
> It's unpiloted, Bit nowhere to be found, and that has Harry worried more than anything else has in his entire life.

Battle Mode

0990

* * *

There’s a Liger roaring outside of Harry’s base.

Specifically, Bit’s Liger Zero, who Harry has battled alongside often enough to properly identify from angry yelling alone. 

The clock says it’s two am, a fact that does not make Harry want to get out of bed. His bed is warm, his consciousness fleeting, and frankly, whatever Bit’s gotten up to this time can wait until a saner hour. Sure, Harry’s been hanging out an awful lot over at the Blitz Team’s base now that he and Leena have (painfully,  _ finally _ ) hashed things out and he craves the inclusion that gives him, but that doesn’t mean he wants to get dragged out at an ungodly hour. 

What does get him up, is when the Liger starts making the same noises it made at the Berserk Fury. 

Harry’s seen the footage. Watched in awe as Bit’s Liger gave a series of insistent,  _ guttural  _ roars that had egged the Berserk Fury on in their final battle. That same intensity is now thrown at him, and it punches something in his brain that has him up and out the door before he’s even processed what’s happening. 

He doesn’t remember putting on shoes, but a pair somehow end up on his feet anyway. 

Sebastian and Benjamin are already outside, the latter waving his hands and yelling ineffectively at the Liger to  _ calm down dammit!  _

“Harry!” Sebastian calls with a touch of relief in his voice as Harry comes barreling out the door. “Finally!”

“What’s going on?” He asks, but his question is directed more at the Liger--and assumedly Bit--than his robots. 

They answer him anyway.

“We’re not sure--my scanners say the Liger Zero is unpiloted.” Benjamin says. 

The Blitz Team isn't answering their comms." Sebastian adds, as the Liger’s head comes down, the eye of its cockpit tilting to look at Harry. 

The thick, amber colored glass isn’t where a Zoid’s external cameras or sensors are, which meant it was doing it purely because that was where  _ humans _ looked at Zoids--and it unnerves him purely because it's a display of smarts one didn't usually associate with Zoids. 

He knew-- _ of course he knew _ \--that the Liger Zero was different. Had an organoid system. It was opinionated, it was intelligent, it made its own decisions. He had seen it do all those things himself, and had twice been on the receiving end of its idea of humor. 

Nevertheless, the Liger was a Zoid. It was immobile more often than it was animated, and it rarely moved dynamically without Bit present. Even wild Zoids typically moved off of a path their internal systems designed, falling into a patrol-like pattern that mimicked something the Zoid Warriors of old would have had them do. They might attack if provoked, and ones with damaged battle computers might even make the first move, but none of them tilted their heads or stretched their legs, or “talked” like the Liger Zero did.

None of them looked so _ alive.  _

So Harry turned and did as Bit did, addressing the Liger directly. “What’s wrong?” He asks it, not entirely certain how it was going to give an answer. He half expected it to dance backwards, leading him on in some kind of chase. 

It surprises him by coming down on its front, head in between its claws offering a nice impromptu staircase to reach it’s cockpit.

The _ now open  _ cockpit. 

Surprise made man and both robots move back. 

“You want me to come with you?” Harry clarifies, painfully aware that he was still in his pajamas. 

The Liger made a noise that could only be taken as an affirmative. 

Harry doesn’t move. Part of this felt like a trap--the Liger was infamous for throwing anyone that wasn’t Bit straight out of its head. Another part put together the frantic feel of the Zoid before him and the fact that it was  _ currently unpiloted, _ and presented him with a thought that made his blood run cold.

“Where’s Bit?” He said, panic pitching his voice higher. That should have been his first question.

That should have been his  _ only question. _

He kicks himself for not thinking of it sooner, fear rising like a wave within him. 

The Liger makes an impatient noise, it’s tail sweeping in agitation, and Harry’s mind leaps to the worse case scenario. 

“Sebastian, Benjamin, get the Iron Kongs.” He says before stepping up to the Liger. If no one is picking up at the Blitz Team base than he wants as much back up as possible. 

“You sure you don’t want me to pilot one of my-” he continues, but is cut off by the most frustrated noise he’s ever heard a Zoid make.

The gold claw closest to him raises up, faster than Harry can react, and comes down behind him. He flinches automatically, but the Liger is quicker than he is, gently dragging the claw--and Harry--towards its face. 

Message received. 

“Alright, alright!” Harry yells at it, the panic burning brighter in his gut, and it’s the worry that something truly terrible has happened that gets him over his fear of getting into Bit’s Zoid. It clearly wants him there, and the longer he waits, the longer Bit might be laying injured, or hurt or held captive by--by a rogue bandit, or a vengeful Backdraft member or-- _ something! _

Harry’s piloted more Zoids than most people have physically seen, and a Liger is no exception. He settles into the pilots chair with ease, hands automatically going to the controls. The shoulder restraint falls over him, the cockpit closing quickly after it. Before Harry canfully orient himself to the controls, the Liger is up and moving, whirling on its haunches and taking off into the desert. 

_ “Hey-!”  _ He says startled, as it activates its booster, the increase in speed pushing him back against the chair. 

“We should at least give Benjamin and Sebastian our coordinates!” He adds frantically, because he wants to find Bit immediately, but they’re flying off without any kind of backup and he doesn’t know where he’s going, and  _ the Liger came to him, why did the Liger come to him, what the hell happened!? _

A single beep answers, him a short window popping up on the screen to his right. It displays a set of coordinates, sent to the Iron Kong’s Benjamin and Sebastian will be chasing them in. 

It’s something at least.

xXx

An Iron Kong is in no way faster than a Liger Zero. 

Harry knows this, and prepares for facing whatever may come solo when the Liger finally slows down, taking its pace from a full-out sprint to a sliding, silent walk. They’ve hit the very edge of the desert, moving towards the deep forest that’s a long ways out from the nearest city. 

The Blitz Team still isn't answering their comms, and neither are any of its individual members.

There is no reason for Bit to have been this far out. It’s too far away for one of Bit’s runs, it’s opposite of all civilization and this section is notorious for bandits. All three keep Harry on alert, fingers in a death grip on the Liger’s controllers. 

The Liger finds a cliffside and begins to climb. Harry lets it--he hasn’t been steering. It’s not as elegant as Brad’s Shadow Fox, but the Liger does well enough, making its way up to a large overhang. 

Benjamin and Sebastian have called him twice, the first time to chew him out for leaving (as if it was his choice!) and the second time to update him on their location. They’re not far, but they’re not close, and that’s the thought that hits him as the Liger drops down and  _ crawls  _ towards the edge. 

Sticking to the shadows, its head peers ever so slightly down, treating Harry to the scene far below. 

A number of shadowed Zoids circle two dying campfires. The lighting is poor, and the Liger doesn’t have night vision capabilities, but it makes do by zooming in and enlarging multiple images. 

One is of Bit and Brad, both tied firmly with chains and rope. Brad’s down on his side, blood coating his lip and cheeks. His clothes are crumpled and torn, eyes closed, and Harry doesn’t realize he’s holding in a breath until it whooses out of him in relief when he can see the older pilot’s chest moving.

Bit’s not any better off. 

But he is sitting up, awake and somewhat alert. The look on his face is hard to interpret considering the massive black eye and tape over his mouth. Bruises decorate his skin in a sickening pattern down his neck, every inch of him looking like he went down swinging. 

Jamie completes their group, eyes wide as he sits tied behind Bit. He’s better off than the other two, but he’s also sporting ripped clothes, and fury rolls through Harry so abruptly he almost sends the Liger careening over the edge and into the middle of the camp. 

The three Dark Spinner’s facing the fires is what keeps him in place.

He’s seen them of course. They were the highlight of this year's Annual Zoid convention. He’d even been offered to test one out, courtesy of the merchant he typically purchased his Zoids from. 

The thing had reminded him too much of the Berserk Fury and the Geno Saurers. It’s roar too similar, bringing memories of how close his team and Leena had come to dying, how Doc had curtly wondered aloud of Bit and Vega would survive their final battle in a sound bite that had gone viral, played over the image of the Liger’s claws held to the Fury’s throat. 

Harry had passed on purchasing one, but others, undoubtedly impressed by the very illegal war Zoids on display in last years’ Royal Cup and demanding something  _ just like that!  _ didn’t have the same objections,

Neither did this group of bandits, apparently. 

There’s a Gustav there too, and parked next to it is Bit’s truck. There’s teeth marks in the side of it that easily match a Dark Spiner's, and that at least explains how they’d managed to get ahold of half the Blitz Team.

It does not explain how the Liger knew where they were, or that they were in trouble, but that’s something Harry’s going to think about later.

After his friends are safe, and he's discovered where Doc and Leena are.

The Liger had pulled up other screens, these showing the bandits. They’re all out of their Zoids, but one of them is disturbingly close to the Dark Spiner’s. 

Too close. 

Frustration sits him, and Harry regrets not waiting for his mechs. Having two Iron Kong’s at his back would make him feel much better. 

The Liger abruptly pulls away, backing up and turning to its right. Faintly, Harry can hear the telltale thumps of another Zoid approaching. 

He tenses, only to relax a second later as he recognizes Brad’s Shadow Fox. It melts out of the darkness, coming to stand alongside the Liger Zero. 

Harry’s first thought is that Leena is piloting it. He taps the buttons to open a comm-link between the Liger and the Fox automatically, and is greeted by a completely empty cockpit. 

The Shadow Fox apparently, is also acting on its own. 

That’s a shock that makes his eyes pop wide, and Harry manages to squeak out “Shit, sorry!” before hitting the button to close the comm. 

He breathes hard, staring at the Zoid next to him, thinking how stupid it was to  _ apologize t _ o a Zoid while trying to fight down the instinctual horror that a one that  _ wasn’t an Ultamite X  _ was behaving like one.

Abruptly the Liger re-opens the comm-link, and Harry is treated to a series of beeps as it runs some kind of script and sends it over to the Fox. 

Another line of script is returned in kind, full of numbers and code, and Harry abruptly realizes that the two Zoids are communicating without vocalizations and apparently using their own system coding to do it. 

That’s another horrifying thought he’s filing away under ‘ _ questions for later.’  _

_ “ _ Uh, guys?” He says, because he doesn’t know how else to address the two Zoids. “Do we have a plan here?” He doesn’t say Benjamin and Sebastian are still fifteen minutes out. 

He has a feeling they already know. 

Neither answers him, and for a moment Harry thinks they really are gonna wait for back up.

Then a commotion below draws his--and the Liger’s--attention back down to the bandit camp. This time the Fox peers over the edge with them, and they’re treated to the sight of Bit struggling against two bandits as a third one drags Jamie out from behind him. 

Brad’s woken up, his eyes largely unfocused, fighting to sit up almost on instinct. Jamie’s pulling away, and is thrown hard into the dirt for his efforts. 

There’s more bandits than Harry previously realized, he counts at least six before Bit outright stomps on one of his attackers feet. 

Considering Bit wears steel-toed boots, that had to have hurt.

The guy jerks back, releasing Bit with a yell so loud Harry can hear it. Bit falls backward, caught off balance and is promptly smashed in the face by his second capter’s elbow. His head snaps sideways, the blow taking back down to the ground, and Harry abruptly, impulsively, thinks  _ ‘fuck this! _ ’ and throws the controls forward.

The Liger must have agreed, because it launches itself down the cliff with a battle-roar, the Fox echoing it and following them right over. 

“Don’t step on them, _ don’t step on them! _ ” Harry chants as the Liger lands in the middle of the camp with a flourish, fangs bared. 

The Shadow Fox does the same, both Zoids sounding absolutely furious. 

Turning as one, Harry takes aim at the Dark Spiner closest to him and fires a barrage of shots out of the double-barrel guns on the Liger’s chest. The Shadow Fox’s Vulcan Gun swivels to do the same, thumping as gunfire blows dirt high into the air. 

The bandits are yelling, Jamie is yelling, and Bit’s staring up at them with a slack jaw, but more importantly, the bandit Harry had been worried about goes right for his Zoid. 

He’s not a murderer and he can’t make himself become one even knowing the guy’s about to make his life a hell of a lot harder. Harry fires at the Dark Spiner the bandit’s trying to get into instead, hoping it’ll put him off, and in doing so completely misses another bandit climbing into a well concealed Guysak. 

The scorpion Zoid shrieks, charging forward, and Harry and the Liger have to make an awkward leap sideways to avoid its claws. This splits them from the Shadow Fox, but Harry figures if it got this far then it must be fine on its own. 

Liger has two screens up, both of which are tracking the Blitz team. Brad’s managed to get to his feet, and sure enough the Shadow Fox bends to free him of his chains with a well placed swipe of its claws. 

Rather than get into his Zoid, he runs for Bit and Jamie, and Harry does his best to move the combat out of their way as the Guysak strikes out with its tail. 

They dodge again, Harry directing the Liger backwards, towards the last, unpiloted Dark Spiner. Once close to its flank they duck behind it and, just as Harry hoped, the Guysak’s next attack hits the sauron Zoid instead of him. There’s more screaming on the ground, as bandits who were aiming to pilot it have to duck at the last moment to prevent being struck. 

Then even more when the Liger moves of its own accord, charging, then _leaping_ onto the Guysak and sinking its teeth around the head of it. Gold claws rake its back, one holding down the tail, while the scorpion Zoid whips it furiously trying to get a clear shot at them with it's tail-mounted gun. 

The cockpit cracks with a sickening crunch, glass breaking under pressure. The Liger suddenly twists it’s head up and back in a move that would have gotten them banned immediately in legal combat, ripping the whole thing right off the body. 

_ ‘This isn’t legal combat. _ ’ Harry thinks wildly, as the Liger spits out the head and cockpit, the rest of the Guysak falls limply to the floor. 

Harry doesn’t get a minute to wonder if the pilot survived. Not when a deafening roar echos across the clearing, and missiles pound into them from the side. 

The bandits had finally gotten a Dark Spiner piloted up. 

The third one is up and moving as well, the bandits screaming insults over their intercoms. Harry bites out a curse--he had hoped the command system had frozen on that Dark Spiner from their earlier assault, but there’s nothing for it now. 

He maneuvers the controls to get back and around, lining them up to go face to face with the bandit firing on them. The Liger Zero’s reaction time is insane, the Zoid almost immediately feeling like an extension of himself instead of a clunky robot he’s directing. He's not as good as Bit, not at piloting the Liger or just piloting in general, but he's good enough for what they're doing. 

Despite everything, Harry’s impressed.

The Dark Spinner turns, forgoing it’s missiles to charge another weapon, and immediately Harry sees a clear, open path, right to a vulnerable point on where it’s neck meets it’s shoulder.

He doesn’t hesitate.

Pushing the controls forward and calling out Bit’s infamous attack, Harry and the Liger lunge forward. The words sound strange coming from him but right this second he couldn’t care less. 

“Strike-” He calls, pressing the button to light the Liger’s claws up yellow as it barrels forward. 

“-laser-” Harry continues, taking aim as the Liger leaps into the air.

_ “claw! _ ” He finishes as claw meets armor, and he knows it's a direct hit before the Liger even lands. 

The Dark Spiner screams, falling down to its knees, before collapsing entirely on its face, its head torn at an awkward angle.

The Liger roars in triumph, a sound that reverberates through the cockpit before allowing Harry to turn it around. 

He’s relieved to see the Shadow Fox finish the other Dark Spinner off as he does, it’s Vulcan Gun pounding into the Zoid in a way that said Brad was taking his fair share of revenge on whoever piloted it. 

Bit and Jamie have taken cover near the now abandoned Gustav and it’s empty cargo platforms. The Guysack’s cockpit is open, it’s pilot seat empty, the Zoid already taking on the greyish hue of death. 

The remaining bandits take off into the woods, and for a wild, dark moment Harry considers chasing them. The Liger has other--better plans, walking up to Bit and removing his chains with careful claws. 

Brad directs the Fox to do the same with Jamie, and it finally sinks in that Bit is okay, the bandits are  _ gone _ ,  _ he did it, he actually did it.  _

He directs the Liger down, and it moves easily enough, the OTS restraints releasing him as its cockpit raises up. 

_ “Harry!?”  _ Bit says, shocked, and all he can do is give him a wild grin. 

Instead of answering, Harry jumps out, his cool moment ruined as he stumbles as he lands. He recovers, head coming up to stare at Bit’s--bruised, beaten--face, and any good humor he had abruptly vanishes. 

“Are you okay!?” He asks worriedly, rushing forward. Bit just laughs and drags him into a hug. 

“Holy shit Harry that was you piloting!? How'd you know where we where!?” Bit says as Harry hugs him gently back, holding on a moment longer than he really should before pulling out and going back to checking his former rival over. 

“The Liger. It came and got me.” He admits, wincing as he mentally catalogs injuries. 

“No kidding.” Bit stares in open adoration of his Liger, who carefully moves its head towards its chosen pilot, nudging him and Harry in the process. 

“Easy big guy, I’m alright.” Bit says, patting the edge of its nose. “You did good. And so did you.” He turns back to Harry the grin splitting his face looking downright ghastly, and _where the hell are Sebastian and Benjamin!?_

All Harry’s Zoids are equipped with state of the art first aid kits alongside basic survival necessities and really, it  _ had  _ to have been more than fifteen minutes, had they somehow gotten lost!? 

“He’s right, you did good.” Brad says, after the Fox had lowered its own cockpit. He doesn’t get out of the pilot’s chair, and it takes a second for them all to realize that’s because the Fox is refusing to let him.

“Come on Fox, let me out.” He says, tapping on his shoulder restraints, and only pretends to be annoyed when the Fox whines and tightens it slightly in response. 

“You alright Jamie?” Harry asks, focusing on the younger teen as he walks up. 

“Banged up a little but I’m alright. Thanks for the save Harry.” Jamie says gratefully, and there’s a shadow in his face that says he won’t be sleeping well for a while, but it's overtaken by his own tired grin. “You too Liger.” 

The Liger makes a purring noise, turning its head to rub gently at Jamie. 

A thought strikes Harry and he looks frantically back at Bit. 

"Leena and Doc--"

"They're not here. Oscar said he had something to show them, I think they’re out camping in some ruins or something.” Bit clarifies with a shrug. If Harry had his wits about him, he’d be questioning what exactly Oscar had found that would make Leena want to go camping, but he shoved the thought aside.

His days of hyper-focusing on her were over, and right now there were more important things to focus on. 

Like getting his friends back to their base. 

xXx

In the end Benjamin and Sebastian arrive on scene as Harry continues to fuss over the Blitz Team. He’s trying to get Bit to sit down at the very least, while Brad finally gives up trying to sweet talk his Zoid into letting him out. 

The older warrior just sighs and directs the Fox towards the wreckage of the first, downed Dark Spinner, examining it with a critical eye.

“Unsalvageable.” He says through the external speakers, his voice sounding absolutely exhausted.

"We can get good scrap money for it." Bit says. He's not looking so good either now that the excitement is over, and worry’s claws back up Harry’s throat when the blonde doesn't bother to bat his anxious hands away.

The fussing begins anew as Sebastian and Benjamin crawl out of their Kong's, med kits in hand. One goes right to Bit, the other to Jamie, both activating after market medical scanners to survey the damage. 

“I’ve just got some cuts and bruises Sebastian, I’m ok, really.” Jamie is saying, as Sebastian insists he sit down on one of the large logs that made up the bandit’s camp. Benjamin has his own work cut out for him, trying to not only help Bit (who is resisting) but also trying to appease Harry (who is bitching at Bit for resisting.) 

“I’m  _ fine _ \--” Bit gets out, before moving wrong and outing himself with a pained grunt. 

“Sit down before you fall.” Benjamin orders sternly, as Harry positions himself to help keep Bit upright. 

"Alright." Bit finally concedes with a grunt, and together he and Harry sink down on their own log. 

Jamie proves to have been correct, but accepts his token amount of band aids without complaint. He’s cleared long before Benjamin has even completed his medical scan on Bit, and Sebastian immediately spins and takes off after the Shadow Fox, hands on his hips. 

He ends up yelling some choice words at it, when it continues to refuse to let its pilot out of its head. 

“Brad is only going to get worse without treatment!” Sebastian tells the Fox firmly after badgering it, the Zoid still hesitating even as it finally agrees and sinks down on its front, raising its cockpit. 

It’s a good call however, as Brad is hurt the worst among them, and he gets chided for “being a hero” while Sebastian helps him out of his Zoid and down to the ground. 

“Two cracked ribs.” Sebastian informs him, after a scan. “You’re going to be feeling that for a while, Brad.” 

Brad, seated with his back against the Shadow Fox, says “Figured.” 

"I can't believe the Liger let Harry pilot it." Jamie murmurs, walking over to them and staring up the white Zoid. 

Sebastian decides he can’t do anything for the rib at the moment, and instead moves onto the long gash down Brad’s arm. "I can." He murmurs, just loud enough to be heard. 

Jamie gives him a startled look. "Why? It's _ Harry." _

Brad gives him a tired grin, then feebly raises his other hand to point to where Bit has slumped against Harry, the latter talking quietly in the blondes ear. "Exactly. It's Harry."

Jamie scrunched his nose in confusion. "I don't get it." He said flatly. 

"You will. They'll probably figure it out themselves soon too." Brad adds with a chuckle that ends in a hissed wheeze. 

"That's awful optimistic of you." Sebastian challenges, moving on to the next cut. 

"Care to make a bet, robot?" Brad fires back. 

Sebastian looks up at the two pilots, takes in what he knows about Bit and Harry. (Specifically how much more he knows about Harry then Brad does.) 

“So long as you’re okay with losing.” He says. 

(Two months later, he regrets those words when Brad wins. It's all good though, seeing as Brad remained in an excellent mood after the Blitz Team acquired and then sold, four scrap Zoids and a Gustav in decent enough shape to get them all lovely bonuses.) 


	2. Naomi/Brad/Leon--Simpatico

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Leon/Naomi/Brad
> 
> Universe: NC0
> 
> Warnings: This is PG for me but I feel like its more PG13 for this fandom. Mentions of weed, there's definitely a dynamic vibe going on but its fairly covert and you can interpret as you wish. There is 2x very chaste kisses xD
> 
> Summary: Brad's not sure Leon's aware of the direction Naomi's pushing them in, but he's perfectly fine to find out.

_ Day to night to morning, keep with me in the moment  
I'd let you had I known it, why don't you say so?  
Didn't even notice, no punches left to roll with _

_ Doja Cat--Say So  _

Simpatico 

* * *

Brad hadn’t known Naomi for long.

Not as long as he’d known Leon at least.

Logic said he should have a better understanding of the Liger pilot due to that alone. That he’d have a better idea of how Leon felt, where he stood on the thing that the three of them hadn’t yet given voice to. 

Likewise, logic said Leon should have been the one to understand Naomi more. He lived with her, had battled and trained on her team. He knew how her mind worked. Had no doubt witnessed her drive, and the way she pursued the things she wanted most with an easy command of herself and those around her. 

That wasn’t how life worked. Not when Brad and Naomi had a near instant understanding of each other. 

Brad had figured out her angle from the first day she’d claimed both their laps on the couch. Sat down and took up real estate on both warriors bodies as though it was a normal thing they did every day. 

Leon had allowed it without comment. Brad had given Naomi a  _ look, _ one that got him a small, smug grin in return, staring at him before dragging her gaze over to Leon and back. 

For them, that was well into “blatantly obvious” territory, and Brad had spent the rest of the evening quietly contemplating Leon and his sexuality both. It wasn’t that he opposed going down that road--it was rather, that he had never considered it. Particularly not with Leon, and definitely never with Naomi in the middle.

At the end of the night he caught Naomi sighing in bliss when he absently rubbed her arm while Leon did the same to one of her legs (placed firmly in his lap, while Brad had been used as a pillow for her upper half) and thought to himself that yeah, they worked.

Better than he thought they would have, really. 

A fact hammered home over the course of the next few months, as Brad found himself drawn more and more into Team Fluegel’s life (and their home, and on their couch...) 

This was Naomi’s idea, her plan to unfold at her pace, and Brad happily took a backseat even as he spent his own time slowly becoming comfortable with the dynamic the Gun Sniper pilot was setting up. 

Grew more comfortable as she used him and Leon both as furniture and cuddle buddies. As she touched them both and they touched her in return. Watched as her hands got bolder, her voice becoming ever so slightly more demanding, _ commanding.  _ There were promises building up in her actions, rewards offered for going down the road she was leading them on. 

There came several nights, ones with rain dripping down the window panes, with a slowly fading, overcast sun casting shadows across their bodies, when Brad thought about pushing whatever they had towards the end goal.To speed things along, when he thought for sure they all had to be on the same or similar page by now. 

In the end his trust in Naomi held him back. 

She had a reason for this slow drag towards hell, and the wait would only make the whole thing sweeter. 

Then one day she wasn’t there--was late, caught up in something that she promised would make a good story later--and Brad found himself comfortable on the couch with Leon while they waited for her. 

Music played softly in the background, the smell of weed curling lazily around the base’s living area, and somehow both warriors ended up shoulder to shoulder on the couch they so often shared. 

Just the way Naomi loved to position them, the three of them overlapping, always touching one another. 

It felt easy, natural. The way Leon relaxed against him said the Liger pilot thought much of the same. 

Still....

“You okay with this?” Brad asked, rolling his head back along the couch, head closer to Leon’s than he had realized until he found himself nearly nose to cheek. 

And knew he was on the right track when Leon answered instead of asking what he meant. 

“Yes.” He said, tilting his own head to look at Brad. 

Now they were almost nose to nose, with neither of them flinching away.

They sat like that for a moment, too content to move, both not entirely certain that anything more needed to be said.

Their thoughts were interrupted by a low, slow wolf whistle. 

Both looked up to find Naomi standing in the doorway, face soft and eyes lidded as she stared down at them. 

“Well don’t stop on my count.” She purred, stalking forward when Brad and Leon grinned back at her. 

“We couldn’t start anything without you.” Leon protested, as Naomi put one hand on his shoulder, bending across him to kiss Brad firmly on the mouth. 

“Honestly Naomi, we’re not rude.” Brad added, once she’d released him to lean back and give Leon his own kiss. 

“Well I’d certainly hope not. I’ve got ways to deal with rude men.” Naomi teased. 

“Maybe it was a bit rude…” Leon said, eyes flicking to the bag she’d dropped so casually to the floor, his face heating with an awkward, embarrassed smile. 

Naomi’s laughter echoed throughout the room, Brad’s own quiet chuckle joining it. 

“I think we’ll save that for later.” Naomi said, reclaiming her position between the two of them. “Let’s start with something a little bit more simple for now.” 

“Sounds good to me.” Brad said, tangling his fingers gently into her hair. 

It was. 


End file.
